Otto's Robot Cake

Our little Otto Riot turned one year old a few weeks ago. We had decided that we were going to have a simple first birthday party for him. We didn't want to get caught up in a whirlwind of party planning and the associated stress, so we agreed on a backyard barbeque with family and friends. Easy enough.

So I thought.

With a robot-themed birthday party in mind, I designed and printed the most adorable robot invitations, and sent them on their merry way. Then the real work began. I decided, I was going to make Otto's birthday cake myself. Initially, my goal in doing this was to keep cost down, and keep it simple. Well, let me just say. . I accomplished neither of those goals. You see, I am not a baker. Sure I can throw together a boxed cake mix, but that is about the extent of my baking abilities. But I was determined. And those that know me will attest that once I set my sights on something, I do not settle until it is accomplished. One might say, I get mini-obsessed.

The vision for Otto's robot cake was big! It was fun and cutesy and colorful, and it was...well, big! And it just had to be fondant. Sure fondant isn't the tastiest confection around. Sure I had never touched the stuff before. But it is so smooth and lends itself so perfectly to the robot form, that I just had to have it!

As I began to sketch cake designs and research cake decorating, it became clear that I was going to need to practice.

A lot.

Three weeks before the party, I armed myself with an arsenal of cake baking and decorating tools and started making test cakes. I baked cake type after cake type until I found the firmest, most full-bodied cake that could withstand the weight of fondant, and the stress of being manhandled by a novice.*  I rolled out fondant ball after fondant ball, until I figured out just how to work with this stuff without it tearing or pleating. My family was soon sick of eating the products of my baking experiments, but guess what? In the end, I figured it out! I had taught myself how to work with fondant, and how to successfully decorate a big ol' cake!

The final Robot Cake was almost exactly what I had in mind. He stood (err...sat) a little over a foot tall. He had doughnut and marshmallow arms and legs, rock candy antennae, lollipop ears and gumball eyeballs. I had envisioned him a little more metallic, but I had not mastered the shimmer dust well enough to create such an illusion. And so he didn't quite shine, but he did glimmer. And that was fine by me.

Robot Cake was not perfect. There were technical flaws that were very obvious to me. But don't get me wrong. I couldn't have been more pleased with the outcome. And the day of Otto's party, the guests all loved him too! In fact, everyone loved Robot Cake except for Otto, who couldn't have been more indifferent.

But then again, what did I expect?!
He is, after all, one year old.

* Confession: I did NOT bake Otto's cake from scratch. Homemade cakes are a lot of work, and when I make one, it's invariably crumbly and doesn't taste very good. I knew it would have to be a box cake. I tested a variety of brands and flavors, and found that Duncan Hines French Vanilla plus one box of Jello Vanilla pudding, produces what is literally, the best tasting cake I've ever made. 

i wear my baby!

You heard me.

I believe the proper term is in fact, "babywearing". For those of you not in the know, this would refer to the implementation of a worn sling, mei tei, backpack or wrap, in which to carry your baby.

When I was pregnant with Otto, I was very drawn to babywearing, right from the beginning. With Emma, I was not in the least bit interested. I would guess this was because it wasn't very mainstream, and there just weren't many options back then. But go into any upscale baby boutique these days, and you will undoubtedly find an amazing array of beautiful (and expensive) baby carriers. It is becoming somewhat of a trend, I suppose. But a positive trend, nonetheless. When Emma was a baby, there was the Baby Bjorn, in all it's navy blue glory, and that was it.

While pregnant with Otto, I had planned a special visit to my favourite diaper shop, A Child's Garden (Northampton, Massachusetts), specifically to try out different baby carriers. I tried on two varieties: a mei tei and then a ring sling. With a fake little weighted baby loaded in, it was clear to me right away that I was a sling girl. It was so simple: one very long, single layer of fine Irish linen, with two aluminum rings anchored at one end. I fell in love with this sling instantly! I was amazed at how it made my fake little weighted baby feel so secure to me, that we seemed to have meshed into one single mobile unit. Wow! Just imagine what it would do for me and my real baby!

And so I sprung the $90 and went home with a Sakura Bloom Pure Linen, in Storm.

And then I practiced. For weeks I practiced how I would load the real baby into this contraption.

And then I practiced how I would take him out.

Hiking with Darren and Otto at 2 weeks old

Needless to say, I was nervous about using the sling with real life Otto. I waited until he was about two weeks old before I actually got him into it. And I will admit that for about the first month, I fumbled with that sling like the complete amateur that I was. With two rings, and these insanely long fabric edges they call "rails". . .I didn't know what to pull and what to tug. But I kept at it. And before long, the sling became an integral part of daily business with Otto. I don't think I even used our stroller until he was at least three months old. Everywhere we went, he was cradled into my sling; walks with Dottie, doctor's visits, the market, hikes, dinner parties. . .you name it! I would even make dinner or do light housekeeping with Otto nestled in. Snuggled in his storm coloured pod, my little pea was as content as could be.

Beach vacation with Otto at 9 months old

Ten months later... I am proud to say, I am a babywearing expert! The sling is a staple in our life, and we rarely leave home without it. Weighing in at over 26 lbs., Otto has graduated from the peapod reclining position to the upright hip carry (his feet dangle free, and he now gets a really good look at the world and at me). Admittedly, with a monkey this size hanging off of you, it's nearly impossible to make a dinner. But the sling does still afford me the hands-free liberty to do something as simple as grocery shop, without being bogged down. And I don't have to worry about what he's doing, since he's right under my nose.

Most importantly, I feel there is an inherent security that comes with this snug physical bond between a mama and her baby. I know that Otto instantly calms when I tighten the fabric through the rings, and he is gently pressed close to me. Perhaps he is reminded of his infant days, reclined in the sling, being lulled to sleep by the pounding movement of my step and the steady rhythm of my breath. Whatever the case may be, Otto and I are crazy about our sling. And it carries up to 35 lbs! So, while Otto is by no means a lightweight, I do believe we will see him hanging out in the sling, for many, many days to come.

A First Father's Day

Today was my husband's very first Father's Day! He and I don't typically get caught up in all the hoopla over holidays and such. Neither of us are card-givers, and we tend to veer away from being gift-givers as well.  That's just the way we are. Awful as that might sound to many people, this mentality alleviates us of many stresses, headaches and waste, allowing us to focus on what is truly important -- our family and each other.

Baby Otto with his Papa. 

So, without getting too sentimental about today's occasion, I did want to take a moment to remember his very first Father's Day, as a day that was indicative of the sweet and genuine person he is . . . spending time with all of us, whittling away at the never-ending list of baby duties, savoring a really good meal (or two), doing for others, being super silly (*maybe* this involved a garden hose turned on a passing car. . . ), going with the flow, enjoying the moment for what it is, repairing what's not right and getting his hands really dirty in the yard.

I love you, dear.

The Cloth Alternative!

Some of our WAHM's...Otto's fav fluff!

We have used cloth diapers on Otto since he was about two weeks old. Before he was born, I did a lot of research. If you aren't schooled in the art of cloth diapering, trust me when I tell you...the options are endless! In addition to scouring the internet for information, I also visited the most charming cloth diaper store, A Child's Garden in Northampton, Massachusetts to ogle the lil' beauts in person! I even bugged Vanessa, my sister-in-law, to learn about her experiences with cloth diapering a decade ago. When all was said and done, I decided to start Otto on a variety of diaper types, so we could learn what would work best for us. Here is the rundown on the different types of diapers, what we liked, what we didn't like, and what we're still using today.

Basically, all cloth diapers need an absorbent part on the inside (called the diaper, soaker, or fluff) to soak up whatever the baby "produces", accompanied by a water-proof layer on the outside (called the cover) to keep whatever the baby "produces" on the inside. There are many ways of achieving this.

AIO's / AI2's
AIO's (All-In-Ones) have everything integrated into one diaper entity, very similar to a disposable. They are easy to use, but take forever to dry. There is a hybrid of AIO's called AI2's (All-In-Twos). These incorporate a removable inner soaker pad, which is as easy as an AIO, and will dry much faster. We have used the FLIP AI2 system with Otto, almost from the beginning. I like these because there is nothing between the soaker pad, and the baby. Other AI2's have a fabric pocket that baby wets through, so once the diaper is used, it ALL has to be washed. But with the FLIPs, the cover is separate and can usually be used over again. We did inherit a slew of FuzziBunz  from Darren's friend*. These are the type with the fabric pocket. I would have never tried these had they not been given to us, but they have turned out to be a favourite.

The next general category is a cloth soaker with a separate cover over it; two distinct entities put on baby independently of each other.

The Fluff First. . . 
PREFOLDS

An Old Fashioned Prefold;
still an economical & versatile choice

The simplest, original version of fluff, is an old fashioned rectangular prefolded diaper. This is probably pretty close to what the cavemen used. :)  While this is the cheapest of all fluff options, it does require some extra work getting it on baby . There are a variety of folds to conform this rectangular fabric to baby's body, and then it needs to be fastened with either old fashioned diaper pins or Snappis. Prefolds are a nice option, because you can customize the fit to your baby's body -- if you're good at folding. When Otto was first born, we used organic prefolds from Vermont Diaper Company, a small company run by the Pruitts out of Mountpellier, Vermont. These diapers are great, but I never quite got the hang of folding them, so leaking was a problem. Also, prefolds need to be prepped before you start using them, in order to fluff up the fibers and make them absorbent. We boiled ours in hot water with a tiny drop of Dawn dishwashing soap about four times.

FITTEDS

Thirsties Fab Fitted:
a sized fitted that Otto kept outgrowing

The wonders of a OS snap system
.  . .our FLIPS!

Fitteds look very much like disposable diapers, with elasticized legs so no folding is needed (Yay!) and built-in fasteners (either snaps or velcro). Both varieties come in either OS (one size fits all)
or a sized option. I prefer the OS, hands down! I'm amazed at how these diapers expand or contract with the manipulation of a few snaps. The weight range on many fitted OS diapers is from around 8 - 35 pounds! At 8 months old, Otto is still wearing OS diapers he started out with, but alas, the size XS fitteds have long been removed from his diaper shelf.

WAHM


Now .. . for the piece de la resistance! WAHMs might have something to do with my mini obsession over cloth diapers. There is an entire subculture of  WAHM"s (Work At Home Moms) who design, create and sell *AMAZING* cloth diapers, right from their own homes. Since they usually work by themselves in their spare time, these diapers are produced in micro batches, and are often hard to come by.

One of Otto's Newborn Mutts

I am on the mailing list for my personal favourite, Muttaqin Baby. Every time Michelle, the owner, puts a diapers up for sale, she sends out a notification. If you want one of her diapers, you had better move fast, because they don't last. And I can't forget The Good Mama, another WAHM goodie. Both of these diapers can be purchased through Hyena Cart, an online marketplace for earth-friendly, handmade wares. These diapers aren't cheap, and can cost nearly $30 a piece. But these lil' works of art are all handmade of high quality materials, and each one is unique! These are top of the line, and well worth every penny.

Now The Covers...
COVERS
Covers are all fitted, and all have either velcro or snap fasteners. Otherwise, they don't vary too much. But out of all the covers we've tried, I like the Organic Cotton Imse Vimse the best. The front has a huge panel of soft velcro, that makes fastening super easy. And the quality can't be beat. They are a little pricey, so I supplement with Thirsties, which are affordable and well-made. Oh, and I also cheat. I use the shells from our FLIP system as covers. Really quite resourceful, if you ask me. Plus. . .they are my only OS covers, and we all know how I feel about OS, don't we?

Love this cover!
Organic Imse Vimse Safari print

So. .  I have a small confession to make.  We do not cloth diaper Otto 100% of the time. I wish we did, but I am not the only one that cares for him, you see. Since my mother lives with us to help out with Otto, she's got her hand in the mix too. And for whatever reason, she has her reservations about using cloth diapers. The irony boggles my mind that the only person in the house who was actually raised with cloth diapers, resists the concept!  When I diaper him, I use cloth, when my mother diapers him, she uses disposables, and when Darren diapers him, he uses whatever Otto happens to be wearing at the time (a true diplomat)!

I won't brow beat the benefits of cloth diapering, but there are many. I'm very glad we cloth diaper Otto, in whatever capacity we can. We are making a difference environmentally on many levels. . . and even socially, as I've been learning through the WAHM mamas I'm getting to know.
_____________________
* Yes, that's right. . .Otto uses some pre-worn diapers. Initially, this grossed me out. But I got over that fast! In fact, I have purchased many of his dipes used, as long as they were taken care of properly: washed in a good "clean" soap that won't leave residue (we use Charlie's Soap) with no bleach or fabric softener.

Pure & Natural: Homemade Baby Food

Three months ago, when we got the word from Otto's pediatrician that we could start him on solid food, there wasn't a doubt in our minds that we would make our own. And our pediatrician was very pleased with our decision. Not only would we be feeding Otto the most natural way, but he also told us manufactured food can cost upwards of $8.00/lb...and that's not even organic!

Three months later, I can't imagine feeding Otto any other way. My mother had given us a bullet blender, which has a special grinding blade. The appliance itself is so tiny and cute...perfect size for churning out micro batches of baby food! Not only do we know exactly what's in our baby food, but we can customize the texture for our new lil' eater. And while I purchased some fancy glass 1-cup containers with lids, my favourite method of storage is old fashioned Bell jelly jars with twisty tops. The perfect system.

Fresh batch of butternut squash . . .ready for Otto!

Otto couldn't be happier. There's not a single food he's tried, that he hasn't loved. Here's the current ongoing list of Otto's foods:

** butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, spinach, zucchini, mangos, nectarines, green peas, string beans, peaches, asparagus **

We follow the four day rule, to test for allergies (introduce a new food, then wait four days for an allergic reaction before introducing the next new food). So his list is still growing! Although I'm not sure if we'll see meat on there anytime soon. I am a vegetarian, and as for Otto...well he's still on the fence.